The Two Destinies

d Tells the Story o

ife and I left the United States

e was a letter which had been written for us by my wife's brother. It presented us to

life. My last news of him tells me that he is just married. I know nothing of the lady, or of the circumstances under which my friend first m

on, we left our letter of introdu

e of republican institutions. On getting back to the hotel, the cards of Mr. and Mrs. Germaine told us that they had already returned our visit. The same evening we received an invitation to dine with the newly married couple. It was inclosed in a little

unctually at his house. In England alone, the incomprehensible and discourteous custom prevails of keeping the host and the dinner waiting for half an ho

every reason to congratulate ourselves on the ignorant punctuality which had

eautiful woman, quite fascinated us. There was an artless charm in her face and manner, a simple grace in all her movements, a low, delicious melody in her voice, which we Americans felt to be simply irresistible. And then, it was so plain (and so pleasant) to see that here at least was a happy marriage! Here were tw

and the first of the E

t me call him Mr. A. When he entered the room alone, our host and hostess both started, and both looked surprised. A

your wife?

t lady by a neat little apol

She is very sorry. She be

of the alphabet, let me call him Mr. B. Once more, I noticed that our host and hostess started when they saw him en

is your

ations - was Mr. A's neat lit

headache. She is subject to bad heada

this second apology had roused in his mind. The wife was steady and calm. An interval passed - a silent

e guests, it appeared, were still wanting to complete the party. "Shall we have din

d, shortly - with his eye on Mr. A and

anticipation. Our unexpressed hopes rested silently on the possible appearance of Mrs. C. Would that admirable, but unknown,

ied his formal inquiry in

wife ill?

politeness were still in force. He discovered his two married brethren in their corner, unaccompanied by the

such a bad cold. She does so regr

ine's indignation forced its way

iteness. "I don't know how your wives agree, gentlemen, when the

nced as that sharp s

trembling, a very slight trembling, of the hand that rested on my arm. My interest in her increased tenfold. Only a woman who had been accustomed to suffer, who had been

f my hostess in these terms? Look at the circumstances

ner it was impossible to say. The one thing plainly discernible was, that in the interval the three wives had agreed in the resolution to leave their husbands to represent them at Mrs. Germaine's table; and, more amazing still, the husbands had so far approved of the grossly discourteous conduct of the wives as to consent to make the most insultingly trivial

st miserable of mortal meetings, that weariest and dreariest of human fe

e might to resist it, we all felt the one sad conclusion which those empty places persisted in forcing on our minds. It was surely too plain that some terrible report, affecting the character of the unhappy woman at the head of the table, had unexpectedly come to light, and had at one blow destroyed her position in the estimation of her husband'

re sufficiently ashamed of themselves and their wives to be the first members of the dinner party who left the house. In

ith a glance at her husband. "I have s

ite side of the room. The two held a little colloquy together in low voices

ve," he said to her. "I

e unlocked a cabinet at the further end of the room, and re

rying circumstances, you have treated me with the tenderness and the sympathy which you might have shown to an old friend. The one return I can make for all tha

usband, joining us, added his entreaties to ours. She thanked us, but she persisted. Like most sens

ld be the estimate accepted by his friends; and neither he nor I anticipated that the misfortunes of my past life would be revealed by some person acquainted with them, whose treachery we have yet to discover. The least I can do, by way of acknowledging your kindness, is to place you in the same position toward me which the other ladies now occupy. The circumstances under which I have become the wife of Mr. Germaine are, in some respects, very remarkable

ormalities proper to the occasion, and kissed her at parting. At that one little act of sisterly sympathy, the for

not take my wife's privilege of kissing her. On our way downstairs, I found the opp

r my arm, "my mind is made up, sir, about one thing. If I wasn't

the portfoli

"and you will understand what those false f

d the portfolio, and read the strang

ype="